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' (N0Mbdel.) W. H. JENNINGS.

MAIL GRAB. I No. 392,339, latented Nov. 6 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HUBBARD assumes, OF nonna'rs, FLORIDA.

MAIL- GRAB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,339, dated November6,1888.

Application filed May 31, 1888.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LVVILLIAM HUBBARD JEN- NINGS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Roberts, in the-county of Escambia and State ofFlorida, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Grabs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in attachments for railway carsfor collecting mail bags as the train passes the stations, whereby themail may be collected without stopping the train; and my inventionconsists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, thatwill be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail-grab embodyingmy improvements, showing the same arranged 011 one side of a railwaymail-car. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of a mail'g'rab embodying myimprovements, a portion of the curved guide being broken away.

A represents a longitudinal horizontal arm, which is arranged on'oncside of a mail'car at a suitable height.

13 represents a frame or casting, which has a sleeve, 0, pivoted on thearm A, and has a forward and outward extending inclined arm, D, theinner end of which is curved and forms an arc of a circle. Onthe outerside of the sleeve 0 is a curved guideway, E,which is concentric withthe inner end of arm D, and in the said gnideway is arranged a curvedbolt, G. The said bolt is provided on its outer side, at a suitabledistance from its front end, with a recess, H, (shown in Fig. 2,) andhas an arm, I, at its opposite end, the said arm being engaged by acurved spring, K, which spring has one end secured firmly to the tubularguide E.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the boltisadapted to be moved longitudinally through the guide,so as to cause thefront end of the bolt to engage the arm D and close the space betweenthe tubular guide and the said arm or to move the said front end of thecurved bolt from the said arm. When the said front end of the bolt ismoved from the arm, the spring is extended.

On the front side of the sleeve is secured a Serial No. 275,608. (Nomodel.)

springdetent, L, the free end of which is adapted'to engage the notch Hin the bolt. The sleeve 0 is secured on the arm A at any desiredinclination by means of a set-screw, N, and said sleeve is furtherprovided with a handlc, O, by means of which it may be turned on saidarm.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The mail-bag is arranged ona suitable support on the platform of a railway-station,and is suspended at a suitable height. Before the train reaches the said stationan attendant turns the grabbing apparatus so that the arm D is in thesame plane with the mailbag. The curved bolt G is normally held by thespring K in the position illustrated. by full lines in Fig. 2. As thetrain passes the station, the arm D slips through the loop or handle ofthe bag, and as said loop or handle passes rearward on the said arm itengages the arm I at the rear end of the bolt, and thereby turns thesaid bolt so that thefront end thereof comes in engagement with the armD and is locked by the spring-detent, thus securing the mail-bag to thearm, so that the same cannot become accidentally displaced, as will bereadily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of thearm D, the 10010 ing-bolt movable in suitable guideways and having thearm I at one end, and the spring bearing on the said bolt, for thepurpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the supporting-arm A, the frame pivoted thereonand adapted to be secured at any desired angle,the said frame havingarms D and the curved guideway,and

' the curved bolt movable longitudinally in said guideway and havingrecess H, the spring to move the said bolt in one direction, and thedetent'to engage the recess and thereby lock the bolt when the said boltis closed. against the arm, substantially as described.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in pres ence of two witnesses.

Wl'l'ihllllll HUBBARD JENNINGS.

Witnesses:

.I. M. MOALLISTER, J OHN DE LA Run.

